


Crashing Down

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, F/M, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Yuletide, Yuletide 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 20:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2824775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The group stumbles across an unstable bridge. Bellamy is totally not worried about Clarke. Not at all. Really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crashing Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kawabiala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawabiala/gifts).



> Huge, huge, huge thanks to my beta, Mesonyx!!!

"Hey, hey, Princess, stay with me!" Bellamy whispered, gently patting Clarke's cheek.

She didn't wake, and he glanced around furtively, hoping that no one was looking in his direction. The others were all preoccupied, so he patted her cheek a little harder. "Princess, come on. Come on, you can't leave me right now."

Clarke still lay frighteningly still, and Bellamy began to get worried. A few weeks ago he would have been thrilled to lose the biggest challenger to his taking charge, but that was before he had gotten to know Clarke. Now that they had fought together, ruled together, and bribed Jaha together, he couldn't imagine continuing without her.

"Damn it! You should have been more careful!" he whispered heatedly. He probably didn't need to whisper – the others were all either injured or tending to the wounded, and with Finn and Octavia back at camp no one would be paying attention to him and Clarke. Still, he didn't want to share his feelings with the others just yet. "A bridge collapsing, really?" he continued. "You survive river monsters and acid fog and crazy Grounders and then a bridge takes you out?"

He should have been on that bridge, Bellamy knew. He should have been leading the group, instead of fighting with Clarke about which way to go. If he hadn't gone off along the shore, he would have been beside her, and then maybe he could have saved her when it all came crashing down. He could have felt the bridge collapsing and hustled everyone off. He could have grabbed her arm and kept her from falling. He could have gone down with her and cushioned the blow. He could have pulled her from the water more quickly.

A dozen scenarios flashed through his mind, and none of them ended with Clarke lying on the ground, cold and unconscious. He could have – should have – protected her.

"Come on, Princess, please," he whispered – he refused to think the word _begged_ – tapping her cheek again.

Finally, _finally_ , Clarke stirred. Her eyes didn't open, but she moaned, and rolled her head away from his fingers. "Oh thank god!" he sighed – it was most definitely not a sob – and cradled his hand against her cheek.

Another glance around showed that they were still being ignored, and part of Bellamy thought he should check on the others who were injured, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Clarke's side. "I need you to wake up, Princess," he whispered, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"Don't… call me... that…" Clarke's words were hesitant, her voice gravelly, but she was clearly alive. Bellamy felt his heart skip a beat at the knowledge that she was going to be okay.

"Hey, welcome back. Where does it hurt?"

Clarke didn't reply, and Bellamy began to gently – not at all frantically – pat her cheek again. "Stay with me, Princess. I need to know where you're hurting."

"What… happened?"

"The bridge collapsed. You fell in the river. You made it to shore but I think you might have hit your head."

"Did," Clarke confirmed.

"Okay, well that's not ideal, but you're awake again, so we're making progress. Anywhere else?" Bellamy had been sorely tempted to pat her down for injuries, and not just because he didn't think she'd slap him in this condition, but he had no idea what he would be looking for.

"Leg… back… head…" Clarke managed.

"Yes, you mentioned that one already." Bellamy resisted the urge to panic over her circular thinking. "Just stay still and don't move, okay."

"'Kay mom."

Okay, that was a really bad sign. "You think I'm your mom?"

"No…" Clark's forehead scrunched, like she was trying to roll her eyes, but they remained closed. "Mom's… doctor… know to… not move…"

Bellamy sighed in relief. For a moment he had thought she was really hallucinating. But sarcasm– that he could deal with. "You probably shouldn't talk much either, Princess," he said, trying to remember everything he had learned in basic training. Talking used energy she didn't have to spare.

Clarke did the forehead scrunch again, but didn't speak. Bellamy wasn't sure if this was because she was listening to him, or because she was too tired to reply, and he desperately – not desp– oh fine, desperately – hoped for the former. "We sent Ajax back to camp. She'll return with medical supplies soon," he promised.

"Bellamy! Need your help!" One of the others called. Bellamy glanced over, and saw a wide-eyed girl covered in blood, hovering over one of the others. She was clearly panicking, and Bellamy was torn between staying with Clarke and helping her. A leader should help his followers.

But Clarke needed him.

"Go," she whispered.

"Clarke-"

"Go. 'M fine."

He didn't believe her at all, but another desperate cry from the girl drove Bellamy to his feet. He raced over to her side and found Logan beneath her, two large gashes across his stomach spurting blood. "Okay, you've got to put pressure on the wound," he told the girl. She stared at him, uncomprehending, so he grabbed her hands and forced them into place. Logan cried out, but Bellamy wouldn't let the girl withdraw her hands. "Pressure, like this," he said. "Put pressure on it to stop the bleeding."

"Bellamy!" his name was called again, from the other side of the group. He let go of the girl's hands and she continued to apply pressure, so he backed away. Turning, he found the caller and ran to their side.

Time passed – he wasn't sure how much, but it certainly felt too long – and finally Ajax returned with the promised medical supplies and a dozen others willing to help. Finally, he was able to return to Clarke's side. She was too still again, and pale, and Bellamy felt his world crashing down again. Had he lost her?

"Hey, Princess, still with me?" he asked, cupping her face again. It took a moment – too long of one, he feared – before Clarke coughed weekly and then nodded.

"Here."

"Hey, what did I say about moving your head?" he scolded, unwilling to let his relief show through.

Clarke didn't reply right away, and Bellamy was just beginning to worry again when she whispered, "Screw… you… Bell…"

Grinning in relief, Bellamy waved over Monty and Jasper. "You two, find a stretcher. Or something to make a stretcher from!"

When he looked back down at Clarke, she was smiling slightly, and the sight chased away a little of the fear he felt – not that he would ever admit that was what it had been. Although, looking at that smile, he thought Clarke might already know.


End file.
